There is a lot in the Bible that is just not politically correct. And people who are schooled in being politically correct in our universities, in society -- there are certain things that you say that turn them off. Because, fundamental to their thinking is that political correctness somehow came down from the mountain along with Moses. That's why it's so hard to preach the biblical text to the outside. Within the construct of faith, believer -- they'll be more patient with you. You can preach it, but I am also convinced that the person in the eighth row, four seats in, who's been a Christian 15 years, will often sort through what biblical truth they will accept. They don't accept everything I say -- that speaks to their credit -- but there is also biblical truth they won't accept because it's just tough truth.

Preaching: You're in a setting where you are training the next generation of preachers. Are there particular things you try to do with these future preachers to get them ready for the task they face?

Robinson: Teaching seminary students to preach resembles teaching people to swim who have never been near water! So you have a lecture or two on "That's water." We have a large number of students here -- which I think is true of most seminaries -- who have not been to church that much. They became Christians in college and so this whole thing is new. Or we have people who have grown up in the church but have no experience with people in the marketplace and therefore really do not know people. They may know the Bible but do not know people. These other people know people but know less of the Bible.

The tendency going through seminary is to believe that if you took your exegesis notes from a New Testament class into the pulpit and read them to people, there would be a great stirring of God. So sometimes the sermons you get are pedantic; probably true to the text but not true to people, to life. Perhaps you could say that people who have been out for four, five, or six years may have more dif-ficulty being true to the text because they face people every Sunday, and they're much more aware of life. But that's what you struggle with in teaching preaching.

I find that it really doesn't help just to teach a method. In fact, I sometimes say to our students, "It would be helpful if you never thought about preaching a sermon in your life." Because a sermon brings a certain form. The first thing after I study this text is to understand it. And then, having understood it, have a whole second phase in which you have to ask, "What is the best way to communicate this to my congregation?" And any form that will take the biblical text and be honest and true to it, and communicate it to a modern audience, I think is legitimate, provided the audience will accept it. There are certain forms I might think about, but I know the people in the First Episcobapterian Church will flinch. They wouldn't accept it. But if it will get it across in an effective way and touch people's lives, then that's where -- in the best sense -- you can use your creativity to communicate.